Sandeep Jauhar, a cardiologist from Long Island, recently published an essay in the New York Times concerning the practice of referrals within the health care system. Dr. Jauhar points out that "our health care system needs a different approach, one in which patients are not treated like commodities."

Dr. Jauhar backs this claim up with much data and logistics: "Logic says that a referral should depend on a patient's needs and the reputation and skill of the physician...but medicine is a business too, so that isn't how it is always practiced." Indeed, Dr. Jauhar further points out that the American medical system is deeply invested in a type of referral practice that occurs at twice the rate as in the British health care system.

Dr. Jauhar chalks the high referral rate up to several practices in American medicine: "increasing specialization, the lack of time for any doctor to give to complex cases and fear of lawsuits over not consulting an expert."

The essay brings up many points of malaise within the American health care system, namely that of referrals. Using an independent review organization like AllMed doesn't exacerbate the issue like one might expect; we solve it. We have highly trained and experienced physicians and a great staff to help make the referral situations obsolete.

To read the full essay by Dr. Jauhar, click here: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/26/health/26essa.html?_r=1&ref=health